TikTok’s Future Is Up to the CCP

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Analysis TikTok’s Future Is Up to the CCP From today’s China Brief. Palmer-James-foreign-policy-columnist20 James Palmer By James Palmer , a deputy editor at Foreign Policy . A hand holds an iPhone that displayed a message from TikTok saying “Welcome back.” An iPhone displays a TikTok pop-up message in Washington on Jan. 19. Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images My FP: Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like. Exclusively for FP subscribers. Subscribe Now | Log In Science and Technology United States China James Palmer January 21, 2025, 5:38 PM Comment icon View Comments ( 0 ) U.S. President Donald Trump, newly ensconced in the White House, has offered Chinese-owned social media app TikTok a 75-day extension to find a buyer. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law demanding its parent company, ByteDance, sell the platform; it went into effect on Jan. 19. Trump’s Second Term Ongoing reports and analysis TikTok went offline in the United States late on Jan. 19 and resumed service less than 24 hours later on Inauguration Day, with a message of thanks to Trump. What matters now isn’t TikTok’s decisions, but those of ByteDance—and ByteDance, as a Chinese company, can’t make independent decisions on a matter of geopolitical import by itself. U.S. President Donald Trump, newly ensconced in the White House, has offered Chinese-owned social media app TikTok a 75-day extension to find a buyer. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law demanding its parent company, ByteDance, sell the platform; it went into effect on Jan. 19. Trending Articles Thousands Return to Northern Gaza After Last-Minute Hostage Dispute But a White House proposal to “clear out” the war-ravaged territory could shake the region’s fragile peace. Powered By Advertisement Thousands Return to Northern Gaza After Last-Minute Hostage Dispute X Trump’s Second Term Ongoing reports and analysis TikTok went offline in the United States late on Jan. 19 and resumed service less than 24 hours later on Inauguration Day, with a message of thanks to Trump. What matters now isn’t TikTok’s decisions, but those of ByteDance—and ByteDance, as a Chinese company, can’t make independent decisions on a matter of geopolitical import by itself. That means that TikTok’s future is up to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and how China’s leaders respond could offer some important clues for the near-term future of the U.S.-China relationship. So, what happens next? One scenario is that a deal is put together in the next 75 days, and ByteDance sells TikTok to a U.S. company or another foreign buyer. This would be the smartest approach on China’s part, and it would also mean that Beijing is able to take advantage of Trump’s cupidity in a way that it wasn’t during his first term. Trump has always been open to deals, but China made no offers amid the downward spiral of the bilateral relationship post-2016. Read more in today’s China Brief: TikTok Debate Could Stir White House Clash This post is part of FP’s ongoing coverage of the Trump administration . Follow along here . My FP: Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like. Exclusively for FP subscribers. Subscribe Now | Log In Science and Technology United States China James Palmer James Palmer is a deputy editor at Foreign Policy . X: @BeijingPalmer Read More On China | Donald Trump | Science and Technology | United States Join the Conversation Commenting on this and other recent articles is just one benefit of a Foreign Policy subscription. Already a subscriber? Log In . Subscribe Subscribe View 0 Comments Join the Conversation Join the conversation on this and other recent Foreign Policy articles when you subscribe now. Subscribe Subscribe Not your account? Log out View 0 Comments Join the Conversation Please follow our comment guidelines , stay on topic, and be civil, courteous, and respectful of others’ beliefs. You are commenting as . Change your username | Log out Change your username: Username I agree to abide by FP’s comment guidelines . (Required) Confirm CANCEL Confirm your username to get started. The default username below has been generated using the first name and last initial on your FP subscriber account. Usernames may be updated at any time and must not contain inappropriate or offensive language. Username I agree to abide by FP’s comment guidelines . (Required) Confirm